The Galaxy Note 3 launched in the fall of this year and became one of Samsung's fastest-selling devices eclipsing both of its predecessors and out pacing the company's flagship Galaxy S4.

The phablet sports a new design and packs top-of-the-line hardware that allows it to perform at even more impressive levels than the S4. It retains much of the same flare as last year's model and adds a little to the pot to get Samsung fans excited to buy. Here is a brief review of the specs and features on the Galaxy Note 3.

Design

The Galaxy Note 3 is the first step in the right direction for Samsung in the past few years when it comes to design and appearance. The device features a metal edge making it shine and a leather like plastic backing giving it a classier look and feel overall. It looks great in the hands of someone in business. The bezels are also a bit smaller and the display is slighter bigger than the Note 2's. The metal on the sides has lines making it different from what is found on the S4.

Display

The Galaxy Note 3 features a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display with 1080 x 1920 pixels at 386 ppi. It is easily one of Samsung's finest displays yet and has been praised for its innovation with colors. The high-definition picture on games and movies makes it the best device to perform these types of activities on. The Note 3 is the perfect handset for commuters who do not want to carry a tablet and want something bigger than a phone for reading and watching TV or movies.

The Galaxy Note 3 comes with the classic S Pen accessory found on the two previous models. The new version has the ability to pull up a new menu when the user holds it over the screen and clicks the button on the stylus. It also has better reaction time and accuracy than the Note 2 when it comes to writing or drawing. The device comes with the same eye sensor that is found on the Galaxy S4. This is a great feature for people who want to avoid touching their screen while reading. Unfortunately, it does not work with every single application.

Camera

The Galaxy Note 3's 13-megapixel camera snaps photos with great detail. Zooming in will not cause pictures to blur as much as they might have on past models. The point and shooter can also create videos with 4k resolution and features digital image stabilization with continuous autofocus. It can certainly stand up to camera's found on other high-end devices such as the iPhone 5S and HTC One and easily crushes the Nexus 5.

Conclusion

The Galaxy Note 3 continues the legacy of this great line and adds a little class while doing so. This is the year where the phablet became Samsung's premier device and if you hold a Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy S4 together you will see why. At $299 on contract, it's pretty pricy, but well worth it if you don't want to spend money on both a tablet and smartphone. It is the perfect marriage of the two and can outperform other handsets on so many levels.